Pedal-controlled phrasing device for player-pianos.



G. H. PARSONS. PEDAL CONTROLLED PHRASING DEViCE FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-21. 1917*. 1,271,934. Patented July 9,1918.

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G. H. PARSONS. PEDAL CONTROLLED PHRASING DEVICE FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2I, 191]. 1,271,934. Patented July Q 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. PARSONS, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 KROEGER PIANOCOMPANY, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PEDAL-CONTROLLED PHRASING DEVICE FOR PLAYER-PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Application filed August 21, 1917. Serial No. 187,438.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonen H. Parsons, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PedalControlled Phrasing Devices for Player- Pianos, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates generally to pneumatically actuated mechanicalmusical instruments, with more particular reference to piano players andso-called player pianos, and still more particularly to pedal-controlledmeans therein for substantially instantly controlling the degree offorce that shall be given to certain notes or chords in the rendition ofa selection, known in musical parlance as phrasing.

In instruments of this character, the necessity for the provision ofwhat is known as the equalizer, the object of which is to transform theintermittent and frequently unequal impulses imparted to the pedals intoa substantially constant and uniform or gradually modified air-pressurevariation, carries with it the necessity for the provision of acomposite vacuumizing chamber of such capacity that the degree ofrarefaction of the air therein can be but gradually and comparativelyslowly varied by pedal operation to correspondingly gradual y ndcomparatively slowly vary the intensity of the sound-producing forces.However, as ex plained by me in a prior patent, granted to me on October9, 1917, No. 1,249 366, it is not infrequently essential to proper ordesired expression to proceed abruptly 01' quickly from very loud torelatively soft tones, as from a crash to a pianissimo effect, or toabruptly accent a single note or chord, and while this has heretoforebeen rendered possible through the provision of levers or buttons on thekey-slip, such instrumentalities are more or less objectionable in thatas also set forth in my earlier patent. aforesaid the use thereofnecessitates additional mental effortand manual operations.

In this earlier patent I have shown and described means adapted to beincorporated 1n the pneumatic fitment of a player piano, undersubstantially instantaneous control by the operator through the pedals,for varying the volume of air which is permitted to pass from the stackto the equalizer, and therefore the degree of air pressure to which thehammer actuating mechanisms are subjected, and experience hasundoubtedly demonstrated the efiicacy of the device shown and described.However, the expression or accent controlling means of this earlierpatent included a pneumatic, and it is well known that a pneumatic is amore or less delicate, complicated and therefore comparatively somewhatcostly device. It includes a valve-actuating pouch, of material likelyto be originally-or to become through usepunctured, and also includes aminute passage from the interior of the pouch to the atmosphere, likelyto become cloggedin either case partially or wholly destroying theefiicacy of the device.

The principal object of the present inven tion is the simplification ofthe device of my prior patent, aforesaid, largely through theelimination of the pneumatic and the substitution therefor of a lesscomplicated, less expensive, more dependable, longer lived and equallyeflicacious instrumentality for the performance of the same function.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Ihave illustrated what I consider the most practical and convenientembodiment of the invention, and in which Figure 1 is an elevation ofthe lower portion of a player piano, the front side of the casing havingbeen removed;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section, taken substantially on the lin 22of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the expression or accentcontrolling device, one side of the casing thereof havin been removed toshow the interior thereo Fig. 7 is a horizontal section, takensubstantially'on the line 77- of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8.,is a vertical section, taken substantially on the line 88of Fig.4, and

Fig. 9;i s. a, view of thetend, of the valvecontrolling bellows.opposite to, that shown in the lower part of Fig. 5.

Referringnow tothe drawings in detail, I have shown in Fig. 1 the hammerand rec- Quiz-r 1:wanting.mec a t Player piano, which includes thepedals 15 15'', the exhausters 16 16, operated by said pedals, theequalizers 17. 1f communicating with he xile-aster 6" through he. ue orir-Passa e 8 em, which e d h P p 19 to the 'roll winding motor (notshown) and. p pe 20 to he ta k (110t he n), l of: hich? may be, of anyknown and approved construction and arrangement.

shown and'described inmy earlier patent, aforesaid; I interpose in thepipe 20 an air-tight boX or casing 21 provided with openings andsuitable couplings or connectionsfor the divided' sections of the pipe20, whereby thisbox forms a part of the passage from the duct 18 to thestack. The bQXZ'l is dividedjby the partition 22 into twocompartments 23and2 il, the former beingrelatlvely wider than the latter for ma .01 s eaine in y. Pr r Pat f said; To permit thepassage of, air through thispartition 22, under what may be termed r ary c di ions. and seq e y fromthe.sta ck to the equalizer or the composite vacuum; chamber, I aperturesaid'partition,

preferably through the provision of. a plu rality of alined ports 25 25adapted to be opened and closed to a greater or lesser ext by h lidealv2. te o the par iti j 2* Thi lide-" 6 s trolled; by means ofthe-bellows2 7, the movable member 28 of, which is connected with aid: v v hroughhe rod 2 an e terior of which is open to, the interior of thecompartment 23 through the port or opening 30, through which, also, therod 29 Pas esa w ll-spr n 31 er ng t y nely retainsaidhq lews 27. in adilated condition. It will now be apparent that excessiye rarefaction ofthe air in the compartment 23, resulting from unduly strenuousmanipulation Qfg the pedals 15 15, for instance, will promptly result inthe contraction of the bellp s 7 and consequent p op ona e 010sing ofthe valve 26 thus to a greater or lesser extent choking the passage fromstack to equalizer and inversely compensating for the excessive forcesgenerated-orb reverse operat'ien cempensating for temporarily inadequatefOrizesP-to, maintain substantial uniformity O ntensity of the hammeractuating forces, under what'may be termed normal conditions, in amanner for which no patentable novelty is claimed in the presentapplication. For convenience and brevity of description, and in view ofits function, I shall hereinafter designate the valve 26 as theequalizing valve.

The equalizing valve 26having been provided in connectionwith thefports,or open ings 25 25 in order to insure substantial uniformity in theair-pressure variation which is utilized to actuate the soundproducinginstrumentalities irrespective within certain limitsof the forcesapplied to the pedals, it will be apparent that abrupt accenting fromthe pedals is impossible in the, absence of additional or supplementalmeans for accomplishing this, result, and I therefore provide thepartition 22 with another and relatively larger port or: opening 32,adapted to be opened and closed by means of a valve 33 mounted at theend of one arm of a. lever 34 pivoted at 35 and extending obliquelythrough the compartment 23, said valve 33 being yieldingly pressed toclosed position by means of a spring 36. In order to enable theproduction of an accenting effect of-lesser degreethan adesiredinaximum, as explained in my earlier patent, aforesaid, I alsoprefer to provide the valve 33 with a port or opening 37, ofconsiderably less area than that of the port or opening 32 in thepartition 22, which smaller port or opening 37 is adapted to beopenedandclosed'by means of a shpplemental valve. 38 at the end of onearm of the lever 39 contiguous tot-he lever 34. While the lever 39 isalso pivoted at 35 and similarly extends obliquely through thecompartment 23, the other end or arm thereof is disposed slightly inadvance of the corresponding armof the lever 34, whereby it will beengaged by common actuating means prior to engagement betweenv said;meansand the arm of the lever 34, in, order that what may be termed a'moderately augmented force applied to one applicationof what may betermed an ex- 7 cessively augmented force the larger valve 33 will beopened, resulting in the substantially immediate production of a tone ortones of maximumintensity. I have shown a spring 49 for yieldinglyretaining the valve 38 in a seated condition.

It will be apparent that if the valve 33 considered alone for maximumeffect, or the valve 38 considered alone for ail effect of lesserdegreecan be made exceedingly sensitive to variations. in the forcesapplied to the pedals, to be instantly openedautomatically upon thesudden application of excess pressure to one or the other of the pedals,an independent and much more capacious channel may be establishedbetween the stack of the instrument and the composite exhaustingchamber, through the pipe 20, thereby instantly causing intensificationof the forces actuating the sound-producing instrumentalities. In thedevice of my prior patent, aforesaid, I employ a pneumatic, directlyconnected with the exhausters, as means for opening the valve 33 (or thevalve 38 alone, if desired) upon the sudden application of an augmentedforce to one or the other of the pedals, and I now find that it is notnecessary under all conditions to employ so complicated a device as apneumatic, practically the same result being assured through theprovision of a pair of bellows 40 and 41 mounted on the bottom of thebox 21, the movable sides of these bellows being rigidly connected bymeans of a plate or member 42 which is provided with an arm or extension43 adapted upon movement under collapse of said bellows to engage an armett of what may be termed a crank-lever, the other arm 45 of which isadapted to impinge against, first, the free arm of the lever 39 and thenthe free arm of the lever 34: to first open the valve 38 and then thevalve 33.

The chamber within the bellows 40 is in direct and open communicationwith the interior of the exhauster 16 through the pipe 46, and thebellows 41 is in direct and open communication with the interior of theexhauster 16' through the pipe 47. Therefore, in addition to what may betermed a negligible effect upon the air in the composite equalizingchamber, will instantly and to a high degree rarefy the air in one orthe other of the bellows 4:0 and 41, causing substantially instantaneouscollapse thereof and operating through consequent movement of the plateor member 42 with its arm or extension 43 to open either the valve 38alone or the valve 33 therewith, according to the magnitude of theaugmented force applied, in either case to a lesser or greater extentpermitting the passage of a greater volume of air from the stack to theequalizer and therefore to a correspondingly greater extent intensifyingthe forces which actuate the sound-producing instrumentalities.

The bellows 40 and 41 are yieldingly retained in or returned to anexpanded or dilated condition by means of the tension spring 48, and Imay state that I prefer to employ two separate bellows, instead of one,primarily to avoid the necessity for the provision of valves, whichwould be essential if passages from the exhausters led into the samebellows, for otherwise air would flow into the chamber from the idleeXhauster as rapidly as it was 'withdrawn from said chamber by theworking exhauster. hen two bellows are employed, obviously, only onethereof is forcibly collapsed under the augmented pedal-applied force,the other collapsing idly.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have materially simplifiedthe deviceof my earlier patent, aforesaid, without sac rifice ofeiiiciency and undoubtedly with enhanced durability and dependability.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination,with exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same,equalizing means, and an air passage from said equalizing means to thesound-producing instrumentalities of the instrument, of means includinga valve for retarding and accelerating the flow of air through saidpassage, a bellows the interior of which has direct communication withsaid exhausting means, and connecting means between a movable member ofsaid bellows and said valve to open the latter upon collapse of saidbellows.

2. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination,with exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same,equalizing means, and an air passage from said equalizing means to thesound-producing instrumentalities of the instrument, of means includinga valve for retarding and accelerating the flow of air through saidpassage, a bellows the interiorof which is in constantly opencommunication with said exhausting means, and connecting means between amovable member of said bellows and said valve to open the latter uponcollapse of said bellows.

3. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination,with air exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same,equalizing means, and an air passage from said equalizing means to thesound-producing instrumentalities of the instrument, of means includingvalves for variably retarding and accelerating the flow of air throughsaid passage, a bellows the interior of which has direct communicationwith said exhausting means, and connecting means between a movablemember of said bellows and said valves to open the latter successivelyupon collapse of said bellows.

4. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination,with air exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same,equalizing means, and an air passage from said equalizing means to thesound-producing instrinnentalities of the instrument, of means includingvalves for variably retarding and accelerating the flow of air throughsaid passage, a bellows, the interior of which is in constantly opencommunication with said exhausting means, and connecting means between amovable &

member of said; bellows and said valves to open thev latter successivelyupon collapse of said bellows.

5. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination,with exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same,equalizing means, and an air passage from said equalizing means to thesound-producing instrumentalities of the instrument, of means includinga valve for retarding and accelerating the flow. of air through saidpassage, said valve having an opening.therethrough yieldingly closed bya supplemental valve, a bellows the interior of which. has directcommunication with, said exhausting means, and connecting means betweena movable member of said bellows and said valves to open the lattersuccessively upon collapse of said bellows.

6, In a musical: instrument of the character described, the combination,with exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same,equalizing means, and an air passage from said; equalizing means to thesound-producing instrumentalities of the instrument, of means includinga valve for retarding and acceleratingthe flow of air through saidpassage, said valve having'an opening therethrough yieldingly closed bya supplemental valve, a bellowsthe interior of which is in constantlyopen communication with said exhausting means, and connecting meansbetween a. movable member of. said bellowsand said valves to open thelatter successively upon collapse of said bellows.

7 In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination,with the pedals, the exhausters, the equalizer, andthe air passage fromthe equalizer to the stack of the instrument, of means including, aspring-seated valve for retarding and accelerating the flow of airthrough said passage, a bellows having direct communication with saidexhausters, connecting means between theimovable member of said bellowsand said valve to open the latter upon collapse of said bellows, andmeans for yieldingly retaining said bellows in a dilated condition.

8. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination,with the pedals, the exhausters, the equalizer, and the air passage fromthe equalizer to the stack of the instrument, of means including aspring-seated valve for retarding and accelerating the flow of airthrough said passage, a bellows having constantly open communicationwithv said .eXhausters, connecting means between said bellows and saidvalve toopen the latter uponcollapse. of said bellows, and means foryieldingly retaining s id ellows n d a ed n it n- 9. n a musi al nstrumeo thehara r d s r b d the. combinati n t he pedals, the exhaust-ers, theequalizer, and the air passage from the equalizer to the stack of theinstrument, of means including a spring-seated: valve for retarding; andacc lerating the flow of air through said passage, a pairof bellows theinterior of each being independently in constantly open communicationwith one of the'exhausters, and connecting, means between said bellowsand saidvalve and common to the movable sides of-both of said bellows to01 ,6 1 said valve upon collapse of either of said bellows.

10, In a musical instrument ofthe character described, the combination,with the pedals, the e -ha-usters, the equalizer, and the air passagefrom the equalizer to the stack of the instrument, of means including aspring-seated valve for retarding and accelerating the flow of airthrough saidpassage, a pairlof; bellows the interior of each beingindependently in constantly open communication withone of saideXhausters, means for rigidly connecting the movable sides of saidbellows, andmeans interposedibetween said connecting means and saidvalve to open the latter upon forced collapse of either of said bellows.

11;. In a musical instrument of the character described, thecombination, with the pedals, the exhausters, the equalizer, and: theair passage from the equalizer to the stack of the instrument, ofmeansincluding valves for variably retarding and accelerating the flow of airthrough said passage, a pair of bellows the interior of each beingindependently; in constantly open communication with one of theeXhausters,-and connecting means between said bellows and said valve andcommon to the movable sides of both of said bellows to open said valvessuccessively upon collapse of either of said bellows.

12. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination,with the pedals, the exhausters, the equalizer, and the air passage fromthe equalizer to the stack of: the-instrument, of means includingvalvesfor variably retarding and accelerating, the fiowof air through saidpassage, a pair of bellows theinterior ofeach being independently inconstantly opencommunication with one of said exhausters, means forrigidly connecting the movable sides of said bellows, and means.interposed between said connectingmeans and said valves to open thelatter successively upon forced collapse of either of said bellows.

13. In a musical instrument of the characterdescribed, the combination,with" air exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same,equalizing means, and an air; passage from said equalizing means to thesounchproducing instr-umentalities of the instrument, of means providinga chain: bet in aid passage,- a partition dividing said chamber intotwo, compartments, independently valved openings through said par-1,271,93&

tition, a bellows the interior of Which has direct communication withsaid exhausting means, one of the valves being automatically controlledby the degree of rarefaction of the air in said chamber, and connectingmeans between a movable member of said bellows and another valve to openthe latter upon collapse of said bellows.

ll. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination,with air exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same,equalizing means, and an air passage from said equalizing means to thesound-producing instrumentalities of the instrument, of means providinga chamber in said passage, a partition dividing said chamber into twocompartments, independently valved openings in said partition, a bellowsthe interior of which is in constantly open communication withexhausting means, one of the valves being automatically controlled bythe degree of rarefaction of the air in said chamber, and connectingmeans between a movable member of said bellows and another valve to openthe latter upon collapse of said bellows.

I5. I11 a musical instrument of the character described, thecombination, with air exhausting means, means for intermittentlyactuating the same, equalizing means, and an air passage from saidequalizing means to the sound-producing instriunentalities of theinstrument, of means providing a chamber in said passage, a partitiondividing said chamber into two compartments, independently valvedopenings through said partition, a bellows the interior of which hasdirect communication with said exhausting means, one of the valves beingautomatically controlled by the degree of rarefaction of the air in saidchamber, and connecting means between a movable member of said bellowsand other valves to open the latter successively upon collapse of saidbellows.

16. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination,with air exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same,equalizing means, and an air passage from said equalizing means to thesound-producing instrumentalities of the instriunent, of means providinga chamber in said passage, a partition dividing said chamber into twocompartments, independently valved openings through said partition, abellows the interiorof which is in constantly open communication withsaid exhausting means, one of the valves being automatically controlledby the degree of rarefaction of the air in said chamber, and connectingmeans between a movable member of said bellows and other valves to openthe latter upon collapse of said bellows.

17 In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination,with the pedals, the exhausters, the equalizer, and the air passage fromthe equalizer to the stack of the instrun'ient, of means providing achamber in said passage, a partition dividing said chamber into twocompartments, independently valved openings through said partition, apair of bellows the interior of each being independently in constantlyopen communication with one of said exhausters, one of the valves beingautomatically controlled by the degree of raretaction of the air in saidchamber, and connecting means between said bellows and another valve andcommon to the movable sides of both of said bellows to open said valveupon collapse of said bellows.

18. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination,with the pedals, the exhausters, the equalizer, and the air passage fromthe equalizer to the stack of the instrument, of means providing achamber in said passage, a partition dividing said chamber into twocompartments, independently valved openings through said partion, a pairof bellows the interior of each being indepemlently in constantly opencommunication with one of said exhausters, means for rigidly connectingthe movable sides of said bellows, one of the valves being automaticallycontrolled by the degree of rarefaction of the air in said chamber, andmeans interposed between said connecting means and another valve to openthe latter upon forced collapse of either of said bellows.

19. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination,with the pedals, the exhausters, the equalizer, and the air passage fromthe equalizer to the stack of the instrument, of means providing achamber in said passage, a partition dividing said chamber into twocompartments, independently valved openings through said partition, apair of bellows the interior of each being independently in constantlyopen communication with one of said exhausters, one of the valves beingautomatically controlled by the degree of rarefaction of the air in saidchamber, and connecting means between said bellows and other valves andcommon to the movable sides of both of said bellows to open said valvessuccessively upon collapse of either of said bellows.

20. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination,with the pedals, the exhausters, the equalizer, and the air passage fromthe equalizer to the stack of the instrument, of means providing achamber in said passage, a partition dividing said chamber into twocompartments, independently valved openings through said partition, apair of bellows the interior of each being independently in constantlyopen communication with one of said exhausters, means for rigidlyconnecting the movable sides of said bellows, one of the valves beingautomatically controlled by the degree unto set my hand inthe presenceoftwo Witof rnreiactlon of the au 1n szud chamber, nesses. andmeanslnterposed between sa1d-connectingmeans and other valves -to-open thelat- GEORGE PARSONS 5 ter successively upon forced collapse ofVitnessesz,

either of said bellows. ANNA 'J.,:IINGSLEY,

Intestimony'of'theforegoing, Ihav'e here- ALBERT F. STEVENS.

Copies ofthfs patent may be obtained fdrfive cents each, byaddfes'singthe Commissioner of Patents,

7 Washington, D. G.

